12/18/02 - The Japanese movie distributor, Toho Films, recently announced their news concerning upcoming movie projects and releases. Some upcoming project include Steam Boy by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) which is scheduled for release in 2003 and Mamoru Oshii's Innocence Ghost in the Shell (temporary title) scheduled for release in October 2004. However, among a list of new movie projects that is receiveing the most attention is Hayao Miyazaki's next animated project Hauru no Ugoku Shiro (or translated Howl's Moving Castle.

However, Howl's Moving Castle is not an original Miyazaki story and is based on a book by British fantasy and science fiction writer Diana Wynne Jones. Besides Kiki's Delivery Service, this is the second film Miyazki will animated that is based on a prewritten story. Howl's Moving Castle is a story about Sophie, a girl who lived an unadventurous life while tending to her father's hat shop in a town called Market Chipping. One day, a witch transforms Sophie into an old woman and Sophie decides to venture beyond her father's shop in search of Wizard Howl and his moving castle. There, she will face many new adventures in a place where just about anything and everything is bound to happen.

Plans for the release of Howl's Moving Castle are still pending and places where the film is released has not been decided at this time. It has been reported that many companies are interested in this film because they believe it will be another hit like Spirited Away, which was distributed by Disney. Although the international movie distributor had yet to be announced, on Jones' official website, she makes a casual comment about Disney and this project on her bulletin board. Jones comments, "There is going to be an animated version of Howl's Moving Castle which should be out next year. Cross your fingers. You are lucky. The Japanese film makers have still not persuaded Disney to let the film be shown in Britain, although there is no problem with Canada or the USA." Jones herself lives in Britain and hopes that she will be able to watch Miyazaki's interpretation of her book in Britain.

Howl's Moving Castle was published in 2001 and is already available in young adult sections of bookstores. Miyazki will start production on this film in February of 2003 and this movie is planned for release in summer of 2004.

Want more on Hayao Miyazaki? Check out Akadot writer Jodi Heard's book review of Hayao Miyazaki Master of Japanese Animation here on Akadot.